"Your competitive edge in combat against Priests."
The students began to murmur amongst themselves. "As I announced, the core objective of the Combined Second Semester will be to cultivate practical necromancers who can fight and win against Priests. As you all experienced firsthand, combat with Priests is an unavoidable reality."
At the mention of Priests, a subtle fighting spirit filled the air. "During the vacation, you are to contemplate and hone your own unique competitive edge in combat against Priests. You will present what you have prepared during the first class of the second semester."
As Simon seriously pondered the question...
’Huh...?!’
Suddenly, a white light began to flicker from his left hand, which was resting under his desk. ’Wh-What is this all of a sudden?’
He knew immediately what it was. It was the Divinity of a Priest. He quickly shook his hand, but the light didn’t go out. Meirin, who was diligently taking notes, shot him a glare. "What are you doing? You’re being distracting."
"Ah, sorry. It’s nothing."
Kamibarez, in the next seat, tilted her head. "Simon? You don’t look well. You’re breaking out in a cold sweat..."
"Uh, um. It must be hot in here."
Simon quickly made an excuse and pretended to listen to Jane’s explanation. The two girls turned their attention back to the front, but cold sweat was pouring down Simon’s back. ’Why is this happening to me now?’
His mind raced. Was it because he’d been exposed to too much Divinity during the battle with the Saintess? But by that logic, countless necromancers in the field should also be radiating holy power. All sorts of terrible scenarios flooded his mind. If a necromancer used Divinity at a time like this, wouldn’t he be captured as a spy for Efnel? He’d be dragged to headquarters, they’d investigate the Legion Commander, and his parents would be brought in, too. It would be the absolute worst-case scenario. While everyone else was focused on Jane’s voice, Simon was fighting a desperate internal battle. ’This is driving me crazy.’
No matter how hard he tried to extinguish the Divinity, the light only grew brighter. Hiding his hand in his pocket or pressing his palm against his body did nothing; the light leaked out. Now, a few students were starting to glance around, squinting at the glare. ’How do I turn this off?’
It went without saying that he had never learned how to handle Divinity at Kizen. For now, he tried to focus his concentration, just as he did when controlling Jet-Black. ’Go out. Go out. Go out...’
It backfired. The light doubled in brightness, dazzlingly illuminating the classroom ceiling.
"Who’s playing with the lights during class?" Professor Jane’s voice rang out as she wrote on the board. Thankfully, she didn’t turn around.
The other students’ gazes turned not to Simon, but to Dick. Meirin chided him. "Ugh! Stop being such an attention seeker!"
"W-What? It wasn’t me!"
The more Dick protested his innocence, the more eyes were drawn to him. So much for the benefit of the doubt. ’Sorry, Dick!’
While everyone’s attention was on Dick, Simon desperately tried to control the Divinity. A sense of injustice washed over him. ’It’s so unfair. Why is this happening now, during the last class of all times? I couldn’t even use Divinity before...’
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the Divinity in his palm faded and vanished without a trace. ’Huh...?’
He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he let out a sigh of relief.
He was safe for now. He had been disappointed about having to leave Kizen for a few months, but now he’d changed his mind. He had to get back to Leshill as soon as possible. ’I need to learn how to control this power from Mom before something terrible happens.’
While others were worrying about how to overcome a Priest’s Divinity, Simon had a very different problem to solve.
Simon had to figure out how to control his own Divinity.
After the announcement, Kizen began preparing for the vacation with its usual swiftness. Students returned to their dorms to pack. Though their room assignments would remain the same for the second semester, it was wise to take textbooks and notes for the mountain of homework they had been given.
"Thanks for everything this semester, Kajan," Simon said as he packed his bag.
Kajan, a large pack already slung over his shoulder, vaulted down from the lofted bed and extended a hand. "You too."
They shared a firm handshake. Dick, who had already packed and was now sprawled on his bed, watched them with an envious gaze.
"Um, by any chance..." Simon hesitated. "Will I see you again next semester?"
Kajan had enrolled in Kizen on a mission from Nephthys: to find and apprehend the Priest. It had been an undercover assignment. Now that the mission was over, he had no real reason to stay.
"You’ll find out when the second semester starts," Kajan replied flatly.
"...Haha." Simon managed a bitter laugh. ’Typical of the Thieves’ Guild. He won’t even give up information about himself.’
"In any case," Kajan continued, his voice dropping low enough that Dick couldn’t hear, "I was fortunate to fight alongside you. Even the Thieves’ Guild has a shred of loyalty. I’ll keep my mouth shut about what I’ve seen, so rest easy."
"...Oh. Thank you!"
Kajan gave Simon’s shoulder a light pat before turning and opening the door.
"Have a good vacation, Kajan!" Dick called out abruptly.
Kajan paused in the doorway and glanced back. "Try to snore less."
Simon burst out laughing, and even Dick chuckled, finding the jab amusing himself. After Kajan left, Simon and Dick met each other’s eyes and laughed again.
"A vacation," Dick mused. "It doesn’t feel real."
"Tell me about it. I’ve already booked a place in Rochest. A few other students are staying on the island, too..."
As Simon listened, a look of sheer horror washed over his face. A faint white light was beginning to emanate from the tip of his left index finger. He quickly shoved his hand behind his back. Fortunately, Dick was too absorbed in his own story to notice.
’Damn it, I have to get home as soon as possible.’
Having finished packing, Simon told Dick he had to stop by somewhere and quickly slipped out of the room.
His first stop was Pier’s ruins, where he found the three formidable Ancient Undead huddled on the floor, engrossed in a card game. At the sound of Simon’s footsteps, Pier seized the opportunity, flinging his cards into the air.
[You’ve returned, boy!] he boomed.
Prince tore at his hair in disbelief. [What the hell! I was about to win!]
[Hee hee! Such things can happen in a game. Welcome, Master,] Erzebet chimed in. Chewing her nails as she stared at her cards, she too tossed them aside and rose to her feet.
Only Prince remained on the floor, staring blankly at the winning hand he still held.
Simon put his hands on his hips. "It’s vacation. Have you all decided on your plans?"
[Of course!] Pier declared. He planned to visit the ’Jungle of Screams’ in southwestern Dresden to search for clues about the next Ancient Undead.
Erzebet intended to visit a place called the ’Tomb of Insects’, a supposed paradise for spiders, where she hoped to find a way to dramatically increase her corpse spider population.
And as for Prince...
[I’m going back to Deathland!] he announced. He would focus on solidifying his control over the other zombies and stabilizing the region, which had been thrown into chaos by Manus and his cronies. [It will one day become the Legion’s headquarters! You’d better look forward to it!] he exclaimed, tossing his crown aside. Even then, two cards, symbols of his lingering regret, remained clutched in his hand.
"So, I’m the only one going to Leshill," Simon murmured. Prince had refused to meet Richard, and since Erzebet held a grudge against both Richard and Anna, Simon would have stopped her anyway. Pier, however, was a surprise. He’d thought the ancient warrior would have much to discuss with his father.
[I am no longer Richard’s kin, but the steward of your Legion,] Pier stated. [We are strangers now, not on terms to exchange pleasantries. Such sentimentality does not suit my temperament.]
As Pier extended his arm, the skeletal clone attached to Simon’s uniform dissolved and was drawn into his palm. He rose to his feet, slinging the Greatsword of Ruin over his shoulder.
"Pier, are you sure you don’t want to see my father?" Simon pressed.
Pier tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before answering. [The time is not yet right. Richard would think so as well.]
Pier and Erzebet, with business in the Kingdom of Dresden, arranged to travel by ship directly from Roc Island. They had already booked their passage, and with Erzebet’s shapeshifting abilities, there was no risk of being discovered. Prince’s power was recalled to his main body in Deathland.
Back on the main Kizen campus, Simon stopped by the ‘Mutant’ clubroom to say his goodbyes before heading to the teleportation circle, arriving with time to spare.
"Simon! Over here!" Meirin waved him over.
"Hurry up! What took you so long!" Dick added.
With less than an hour until their departure, the four of them chatted cheerfully. From the Cyclops evaluation to the recent Saintess incident, the bond forged between the members of Team 7 felt stronger than ever. Simon, however, couldn’t fully relax, constantly on edge about his Divinity flaring up again.
He listened to his friends’ vacation plans. Meirin was heading back to the Ivory Tower to intensively train her ice-type Jet-Black magic and work on her stamina. Dick planned to stay in Rochest for about a month to sort out some business before heading to the continent to see his father. Kamibarez, armed with a letter of recommendation from Professor Silage, was going to seek out a Kizen graduate to learn how to control her violent bloodline. Everyone had a productive break planned.
"So, what about you, Simon?" Meirin asked.
Simon shrugged. "I’ll probably just help my father with his work and do my homework."
It wasn’t a lie, but his true priority was getting a handle on the Divinity that kept erupting without warning. If he could learn to control it, he mused, he might find a clue to his biggest vacation assignment: his competitive edge against Priests.
"We will now begin!" an attendant announced. "Will the students whose names are called please step forward."
The teleportation circle hummed to life, and the moment of farewell arrived. The ever-sentimental Kamibarez’s eyes welled with tears. They all promised to write, reassuring her that two months would fly by.
"Student Simon Polentia!"
"Here!"
Simon was called first. The reluctance he felt to leave told him just how close they had all become. After saying his goodbyes, he stepped onto the teleportation platform. The attendant bowed respectfully.
"The Leshill territory in the Kingdom of Baldwin. Is that correct?"
"Yes!"
"Beginning teleportation."
The magic circle flared, and his feet lifted from the ground. Simon surrendered himself to the familiar sensation and closed his eyes.
’Chirp, chirp, chirp.’
The sound of birdsong filled the air, carried on a gentle breeze that smelled of fresh grass and sunlight. A nearby stream gurgled peacefully. Simon’s mouth fell open as he took in the achingly familiar sight.
’Wow...’
He was really back. He was in Leshill. The scenery was so unchanged it was almost jarring. After the relentless pressure of Kizen, the tranquility felt like stepping into another dimension.
He began to walk, taking a leisurely stroll and soaking in his surroundings. Charles, a local resident, was chopping firewood as always. He spotted Simon and broke into a wide grin.
"Well, I’ll be! Young Master!" Charles dropped his axe and waved frantically. His young son, Roha, popped his head out and let out a joyful shriek.
"Simooon! Big bro!"
Simon smiled warmly and went over to exchange greetings. Roha, fascinated by Simon’s Kizen uniform, kept touching the fabric and started whining that he wanted to go to Kizen, too. Charles just laughed, telling his son he could go when he was big and tall.
"Well, I should be on my way," Simon said after a while.
"Of course! Please get some rest now that you’re home!"
Simon continued on his way, passing familiar landmarks until he arrived at the lord’s castle—or rather, the wooden house the locals kindly referred to as one. He was just coming home, yet a sudden tension seized him, and his heart began to pound.
’What’s the first thing I should say to Mom and Dad?’
Countless greetings swirled in his mind. He took a deep breath and stood before the door.
He knocked, but no one answered. Still, he could sense movement inside. ’Are they busy?’ The door was unlocked, so he carefully pushed it open and stepped inside.
Richard was standing in front of the master bedroom, his expression grave.
"Simon!" he exclaimed upon seeing him.
One look at his father’s face told Simon something was terribly wrong. He rushed past him into the bedroom.
"Oh...!"
His eyes widened. Anna Polentia was lying in bed, her face pale and gaunt.

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